Source: HM Revenue & CustomsMarriage Allowance opened to the public in September this year, allowing eligible couples to save up to £212 in the tax they pay each year. An application can be submitted within your Self Assessment tax return or made online.
Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,060 of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner. Your Personal Allowance is the income you don’t have to pay tax on - for most people it’s £10,600. Adding £1,060 to your partner’s Personal Allowance means they’ll pay £212 less tax in the tax year (6 April to 5 April the next year). You can get Marriage Allowance if both:
- your partner’s income is between £10,601 and £42,385
- you and your partner were born on or after 6 April 1935
By claiming Marriage Allowance:
- your partner’s Personal Allowance increases to £11,660 - they’ll pay £212 less tax
- your Personal Allowance goes down to £9,540 - you won’t pay any tax if your income’s less than this
You can apply for Marriage Allowance online. If your application is successful, changes to your Personal Allowances will be backdated to the start of the tax year (6 April).
If your circumstances change, then you may need to cancel your Marriage Allowance, for example if your partner dies, or you get divorced. More details of this can be found here
.
